(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Dylan Giles. This historical novel relates the story of a Babylonian ark (similar to but pre-dating Noah's story) as translated from ancient Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets; direct translations are interspersed in bold to support Finkel's expanded narrative. The writing wavers between classical and colloquial, sometimes confusingly, and the black-and-white illustrations are a bit muddy. A package best appreciated by ancient-history buffs.

Reviewer: Kristine Caldwell

(4) K-3 In easy-to-read text, this book superficially explores different types and purposes of tails on wild animals. Large color photographs sometimes awkwardly bleed across the gutter, and the book's formatting lacks section definition, leading to a relentless flow of information. Further information on "Tail Adaptations" and matching activities are appended. Also available in Spanish.

Reviewer: Kristine Caldwell

(4) K-3 A+ Books: Simply Science series. This volume skims through magnets' basic properties and their uses in society. Clear photographs and diagrams paired with simple sentences keep this book accessible to young science learners. The content is minimal, but clear organization and subject headings make the flow of information easy to follow. A basic supplemental activity helps illustrate how magnets work. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristine Caldwell

(4) K-3 A+ Books: Simply Science series. These books skim through earth science topics with clear full-spread photographs and simple sentences accessible to young science learners. The content is minimal, but clear organization and subject headings make the flow of information easy to follow. Each volume includes a basic supplemental activity with somewhat unclear explanations. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these A+ Books: Simply Science titles: The Simple Science of Dirt and The Simple Science of Rocks.

Reviewer: Kristine Caldwell

(4) K-3 A+ Books: Simply Science series. These books skim through earth science topics with clear full-spread photographs and simple sentences accessible to young science learners. The content is minimal, but clear organization and subject headings make the flow of information easy to follow. Each volume includes a basic supplemental activity with somewhat unclear explanations. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these A+ Books: Simply Science titles: The Simple Science of Dirt and The Simple Science of Rocks.

Reviewer: Kristine Caldwell

(4) 4-6 Tales from Adventureland series. Illustrated by Jeffrey Clark. Andy Stanley discovers clues left behind by his presumed-dead jungle-explorer grandfather that starts him on a quest related to a magical key. Andy finds help along the way from Grandfather's quirky colleagues as well as a few surprising sources. Nonstop action, clever puzzles, and interesting characters make this standard adventure (a commercial tie-in to Disney's Adventureland theme park) a lot of fun.

Reviewer: Kristine Caldwell

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Bistra Masseva. Based on a true story of elephant friendship, two wild elephants are taken into captivity and endure hardships at circuses and zoos. Precious and Baba are eventually reunited at an elephant sanctuary. The moving story, told in spare, poetic text and emotive, colorful illustrations, will surely tug animal lovers' heartstrings. Includes a note on elephant conservation and circus mistreatment. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Kristine Caldwell

(3) PS Illustrated by Clive McFarland. Jaunty rhymes count as leaves grow, one by one, in the spring until it's summer; then back down in fall as colorful leaves disappear from the tree and "lie crumpled on the ground" come winter. Rendered in crayon, watercolor, acrylic paint, and digital finishing, the illustrations use bold shapes accessible to the youngest learners. A solid multiple-concept picture book.

Reviewer: Kristine Caldwell

(4) 4-6 The TV-meteorologist author describes major types of natural disasters by discussing their causes and examples of their destructive force. Eye-popping color photographs of the extreme weather events and their aftermaths supplement conversational text. Extensive sidebars (with similar font to the main text) and crammed, oddly divided page layouts make for a rather dizzying presentation. Websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Kristine Caldwell

(3) 4-6 This photo-essay covers the basics of what minerals are, the most common mineral types, using physical properties to identify minerals, major rock types and how they are formed, and how to enjoy rocks and minerals through hobbies such as rock collecting. As usual with Simon's books, excellent photographs support the clear writing. Thumbnail images of common rocks and minerals are appended. Websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristine Caldwell

(3) YA This well-researched and clearly formatted book outlines some of the most modern theories and research about possible solutions to climate change. The narrative, supported by relevant photographs and diagrams, introduces the problem then organizes potential solutions by category, with explorations of pros and cons included. Inserts and sidebars provide additional facts on related topics. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristine Caldwell

(4) 4-6 This generously illustrated, cleanly formatted volume uses clear scientific prose--as well as the meteorologist author's personal perspectives and experiences--to explore earthquakes. The narrative covers plate tectonics, earthquake measurement, related disasters, monitoring, and emergency preparation. For a science book, there's a pretty heavy emphasis on the autobiographical material, and some scientific omissions may lead to confusion. Websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristine Caldwell